Camp Sixty miles out from
Louisville Oct 8th 1862
Dear Wife
I have very much
to write about and I expect but little
time. we may however, stay here all day
We have been here since yesterday morning
to draw stores for the remainder of our
march and also to give the boys a chance
to do up some fighting. - they are five or six
miles in the advance and were skirmish
-ing all day yesterday. but as we no
particular news from there expect that we
have taken a few prisoners, I will recount
in brief our trip up to this place
I left Louisville last thursday in company
with Dr Corbus to overtake our regiment
which was 24 hours in advance of us, had a
very pleasant trip, saw many very fine
houses, and some niggers - We came along
to avery fine large mansion standing back from
the road twenty rods or so with a beautiful
Lawn in front , filled with trees and shrubery [sic]
and, giving every evidence of wealth and
refinement. - Coming down the carriage road were
five crinolines with thus, usual accompanies-
ments, constituting in the whole, the above
numbers of the beautiful Daughters Kentucky
In a spirit of gallantry, as we thought, becoming
to ye gallant Warriors we dismounted at the
gate to crave a Social chat, and accept of this, [underline] prof- [/underline]
[underline] -fered, [sic] [/underline] hospitality but we were surprised, nay
thunderstruck, for, contrary to our expectations
[loss] contrary to all of the little [freaks?] of feminine
[page break]
that has passed under our observation and
experience, they ran, they fled, - made an
inglorious retreat, in a word, they skedaddled
- we started - they came back, we returned
they put for the house, we bade them adieu
and rode on, this was only six miles out.
whether they thought we were [--]ersh, as were
such themselves we do not know.
About noon we came to a very respectable
log house, in front of which a very motherly
looking old Dinah was evidently preparing
vegetables for dinner, we halted for a drink
of water. - Lor [sic] bless yes [sic] yrs. and dat [sic] [--g]
man in dar, [sic] he'l [sic] get you some cider if yes [sic]
you wants [sic] dat [sic] too. we said we would take the
cider instead of the water, which we did and
filled our canteens, for all of which he would
only take one dime, and it was the best cider
I have drank since I left Vermont. - The old Lady
said they were free, that masser [sic] when he died
made them free and gave them a farm on which
was a good orchard and everything comfortable
In reply to my questions, of whether she was a
good, unionist, she said, "did ye [sic] ever see a sesh [sic]
nigger, - no massr, [sic] she said, de[--] is no sesh[sic]
niggers, leastways I ne[-]es seed [sic] one.
We were in somewhat of a hurry and after
a half hours talk with her we [----] on
We overtook the regiment before night
Our boys stood up to the march the first
few days very well, as they made but short
marches, but Monday we made something
over twenty miles through the hot sun
and when the regiment got to [loss]
[page break]
they had but three hundred men
-the rest were lying along the road, except
the very worst which were in our ambu-
-lance waggons, and we took in a great
many in to our store waggons
The boys are pretty sick of soldiering. - but
now that they are in they will see it through
We have been put into average Marching of
old soldiers right from the start, and the boys
think it is pretty tough and if I know myself
it is, though I have no reason to complain
at all,and dont [sic] when I think what the boys
in the ranks have to undergo, but I had never
realized, not in the least what it is to be a
soldier, but still I don't think, I should leave, if
full privilege was given to day. - it may be
I should, I can't tell, but good bye to that thought
Our march, of the third + fourth days out was over
a little [--] roughest country I ever saw, it was all
big hills and hollows, bluff rocks + trees, but the
two last days the country is not quite so rough
and the road was good, but very dry and
dusty and with a very short supply of water
-monday we marched ten miles without
finding any, and all we had was what was
in our canteens, but mind you a soldier always
fills his canteen whenever he comes to water
For the last three days we were skirmish-
-ing all the way, but our regiment being
in the reserve, they are from to three
miles from any thing that has happened yet
By general orders we are not alowed [sic] to
forage at all in this state as it has furnished
a [loss] many men for the war, and has never
[loss] [loss] of the union
[page break]
[written upside down on top of the page in pencil]
we moved out this morning 10th
but they do; and will steal a great deal in
the shape of pigs, geese, ducks, chickens, and apples
when they can be found, and any insulting
words from any of the men as [------]
along the road is sure to be remembered
and wiped out, before night they generaly [sic]
fall back to the forage train where there
are but few officers and [-----] this ch[--]
- some of our soldiers have got themselves
into trouble by doing it. - but it gives a
glorious promise of what they can do when
we arrive in secesh land [----]
Our column of Soldiers ocupies [sic] about
three miles [strikethrough] of [/strikethrough] in the road when they are
all up in marching order, and the supply
train something ones six miles, - The teams
are mostly [underline] six mules teams' [/underline]
We can ride with our stores all the time If
we wish , and generaly [sic] we can make it
very comfortable, so we walk and ride at
our pleasure, - There is some thing very
fascinating about the life of a soldiers, and a
great deal that is awful hard to take. - The
dust of travel, the dirt, filth, uncleanness of
a camp, especially if we lack a good supply
of water, are no light things, - until we
get used to them, - I have been well all
but a part of two days, and nothing serious
then. - Let me hear from you now as soon
as you can, you will Direct, to me [strikethrough] at [/strikethrough]
Louisville, like this OL French
Co A 75th Ills Vol
30th Brigade
Mitehels D[loss]ions
Louisville [loss]
I h [sic] written but little of what
I might if my conveniences [---]
good
